Inside the charred Rabaah al-Adawiya mosque, 15 August 2013 (Photo: AP)
Rabaa Al-Adawiya mosque, the site of a six-week pro-Morsi protest camp earlier this year, will re-open in a week, after months of renovations, announced Cairo Governor Gala Said on Wednesday.
The mosque, which was named after legendary Muslim Sufi saint Rabaa Al-Adawiya, was ruined during the violent dispersal of the sit-in on 14 August by security forces, which left hundreds dead.
The sit-in at Rabaa was one of two camps established on 28 June by supporters of Morsi – largely comprising Muslim Brotherhood members - to counter mass demonstrations calling for the ouster of the former Islamist president.
The other sit-in was located at Giza’s Al-Nahda square.
The choice of Rabaa Al-Adawiya mosque in Nasr City in eastern Cairo as a location for the sit-in was believed to be due to the large number of Muslim Brotherhood members who live in the residential neighbourhood.
Since the dispersal and following the arrest and detention of hundreds of Brotherhood members, Morsi loyalists have attempted to march to Rabaa Al-Adawiya more than once, but have been barred by security forces.
On 11 October, a 19 year-old pro-Morsi protester, Belal Gaber, was killed after security forces shot at a demonstration in support of the ousted president as it approached Rabaa Al-Adawiya, where security has been permanently stationed to prevent another sit-in from taking place.
Islamist supporters of the ousted president have adopted the Rabaa sign - 4 fingers referring to the Arabic meaning of the name - as a symbol of defiance to the interim government.
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